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Mission 21 in the Diocese |
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Mission 21 in the Diocese
Mission 21 (Mission in the 21st Century) has been the Provincial and Diocesan thrust for mission for the past 7 years. The original material was devised and expected to take the ‘Scottish Episcopal Church into the next millennium’. This it did with confidence and creativity and in ways that had not been envisaged at its conception. Mission 21 has developed and continues to develop in response to the demands and needs of the congregations it serves. The initial programme of 15 (later 9) sessions of study was based on the concept of ‘mission by invitation’ and drew upon research and materials produced by the Alban Institute (USA). Its introduction and subsequent development has been facilitated by Canon Alice Mann (Alban Institute). A major part of the initial Mission 21 programme focused on the identification and training of leadership groups within congregations. The resources of Mission 21 have enabled these leadership groups and the individuals that comprise them to learn to reflect theologically, work together and to vision the future corporately. It has also encouraged congregations to be pro-active in their outreach and social involvement and to do those things they have long desired to do. In building the confidence of congregations and individuals those engaged with Mission 21 have also learned to celebrate what is good, to build upon strengths and to be realistic about those areas in which they are not so good. It has also helped some congregations to stop channelling effort in to areas that are no longer viable or necessary. Confidence and realism have been the watchwords of the programme. In the foundation phase of Mission 21 a group of between 8-12 folk (including the priest) have journeyed through 15 or 9 sessions designed to explore the whole corporate life of the congregation. The material has at times challenged those involved but never threatened them for at the end the goals (or hopes for the future) are specific to that congregation and have been arrived at collaboratively. Change and growth have occurred but naturally. The Foundation Phase ‘Making Your Church More Inviting’ or MYCMI for short is facilitated by an external trained facilitator. The facilitator is someone in tune with the congregation but not one of them. Their role has been to challenge, encourage, and keep on task and to befriend those on the MYCMI journey. Over 70% of congregations in the Diocese have engaged with MYCMI and there are over 30 facilitators both lay and ordained, male and female, young and ‘youthfully mature’. Most congregations for whom MYCMI is appropriate have taken the challenge and over the past two years the Diocese has been at the fore front of new developments in Mission 21, namely Continuing Congregational Development (or CCD for short). CCD arose in response to those congregations who had undertaken MYCMI or similar programmes asking; ‘Where to now?’ or ‘Can you help us achieve…?’ CCD seeks to enable a congregation to engage in a process of regular self-review with the aim of enabling that congregation to discover or identify what its corporate vocation is in the part of God’s Kingdom in which they are placed. Unlike MYCMI there is no one programme to follow. CCD uses a variety of resources from a variety of stables and individuals. These resources are tailored to meet the needs of the individual congregation and the matching is done by a trained companion (who like the MYCMI facilitator is external to the congregation). The role of the companion is to journey alongside a congregation for a minimum of two years, meeting at least four times in that period. They attempt to challenge but not threaten the ways in which any congregation seeks to discern its corporate vocation. At times it might be appropriate (with agreement) to bring in a consultant to help facilitate a specific piece of work: such as vestry development, conflict transformation or the discernment of new patterns on ministry. The consultant’s input is usually discrete and they do not replace the companion who journeys with the group through out the consultation process. In most cases the consultant used will be a member of the diocesan CCD team. As every congregation is different every relationship with a companion will be unique. It is therefore important to remember that companions are not there to judge or to tell a congregation what to do. They are there to listen, challenge and help each congregation identify the various options for action and development that will enable them to further and best explore their corporate vocation to ministry in God’s Kingdom. (As any congregation explores their vocation individuals within that congregation will be inspired and encouraged to do the same, it is here that Mission 21 dovetails into Local Collaborative Ministry (LCM). LCM is concerned with the individual baptised Christian’s call to ministry and how those individuals can be equipped and encouraged by the congregation into ministry.) For more information on Mission 21, MYCMI or CCD contact: |
